Cooking Demo & Lunch w/ Barcelona's Chef Helton: $35 Restaurant CTbites Invites CTbites Team February 02, 2012 Looking for some new cooking tips to expand your repertoire, or do you just love to eat? Join Executive Chef Helton DaSilva of Barcelona Restaurant and Wine Bar in Fairfield for a one hour cooking demonstration followed by a 3 course tasting lunch featuring: escarole with marinated white beans and sherry/bacon fat dressing, pan seared scallops with Meyer lemon sauce and applewood smoked bacon and roasted quail with arrope and figs.Bring a friend and enjoy Barcelona's famed sangria while Chef Helton leads you through a taste of Spain. Demo begins at 11:00 am followed by lunch at 12 Noon. CLICK HERE for more information. Read More
Fork it Over Westport Farmers' Mkt Fundraiser Recap Restaurant Events Farmers Market Westport Stephanie Webster February 01, 2012 The Westport Farmers' Market held their first ever gala fundraiser last weekend, Fork It Over, with 200 guests in attendance. Gilbertie's Greenhouse in Westport was transformed into a rusticly chic party space through the generous support of Lillian August. Even Martha Stewart was there...and she stayed all night. The chefs that stepped up to support the market brought their A game, and the result was a spectacular evening of innovative cooking and very serious grazing. Each chef prepared 4-5 dishes; guests were handed quaintly mis-matched fine china; after that it was all a delicious blur. The chef lineup included: Bill Taibe of leFarm/ The Whelk, Matt Storch of Match, Tim LaBant of The Schoolhouse at Cannondale, Michel Nischan of Dressing Room, John Barricelli of Sono Baking Company and Fountainhead Wines. Some of the evening's menu and flavors are pictured below. Read More
Darien Social is Officially Open for Business Restaurant Cocktails Darien Comfort Food Burgers Amy Kundrat January 31, 2012 Overlooking Darien's Metro North station, Executive Chef Nick Bilello has reappeared in the kitchen of Darien Social, a modern American "neighborhood bar and restaurant," set to open today. Having opened the original Burger Bar & Bistro in South Norwalk in 2006 and worked in the kitchens of Habana and Ocean Drive, Bilello adapted his style and approach to Darien, with a menu that will include “snacks and small plates” such as local oysters, pork belly “BLT sliders” and Swedish meatballs (with foie gravy). An organic beef “social burger” topped with caramelized onion, black pepper truffle mayo, and Shelburne cheddar should also figure prominently on the menu. Read More
Darien Restaurant Week Starts February 6th Restaurant Darien Events CTbites Team January 30, 2012 Darien Restaurant Week is on from Monday, February 6 thru Friday, February 10, 2012 What does this mean for you, the diner? For one week only consumers will find great dining deals, have the opportunity to experience new restaurants, and re-visit some Darien favorites. Participating restaurant will offer a special prix-fixe lunch and/or dinner menu during the entire week. Some of the participating restaurants include: Cesco’s Trattoria, Chuck's Steakhouse, Matsuri, Ole Mole, Phil's Grill, Robeks Juice, Rory's Restaurant, Scena Wine Bar & Restaurant, The Goose, Backstreet Restaurant, Café D’Azur, The Melting Pot, and the newly opened Darien Social Read More
Fine Dining in Disguise at Oceanview Café in Norwalk Restaurant Delicious Dives Diner French Norwalk Andrew Dominick January 29, 2012 Oceanview Café is your typical diner. They serve breakfast and lunch with the common bacon, eggs, home fries and toast, and burgers, you get the idea. It is not a big place, with 8-10 tables, tops. Decorations of marine life and fish nets echo the area of its location but postcards from France that peer at you through the glass on the tables offer a subtle hint to what Chef Jean Paul Pauillac is all about. French cuisine. Every Friday and Saturday night, from 5:30-9:00 p.m.,Pauillac, who once worked at Maxim’s in France (as did Wolfgang Puck) and La Grenouille, turns his modest diner into a French culinary experience. After his friends pleaded with him to cook up some French classics, the idea caught on and the semi-secret menu began. And what’s even better than this "underground restaurant", are the prices, the ability to BYOB, and more importantly, the food. Read More
Tim’s Philly Steaks Opens in Norwalk Restaurant Delicious Dives Norwalk Comfort Food Lunch Kid Friendly Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger January 25, 2012 Tim’s Philly Steaks opened on Westport Avenue in Norwalk several weeks ago and I am not one to resist the calling of bread, meat, cheese and grilled onions. So I braved the weather to try one of my favorite sandwiches, and I was not disappointed. Many years ago I was taught that eating a cheesesteak is always performed while in “the position.” This entails standing with your legs positioned directly beneath your shoulders, a slight bend forward at the waist, a second bend at the neck with your jaw protruding and always use two hands on the sandwich. The goal is to avoid any of the delicious ingredients landing on your chest or stomach. So when I sampled Tim’s cheesesteak while seated at a table (there are three booths and four tables inside) it was an unusual feeling, but I still assumed “the position” of leaning forward and I successfully consumed the sandwich sans accident Read More
Chowdafest 2012: Top Local Chefs Do Battle Restaurant Events Westport OmNomCT January 25, 2012 Local food bloggers Dan and Kristien Del Ferraro of OmNomCT.com ran this post on their site to announce the upcoming Chowdafest 2012. Why mess with a good thing? Here's their story... About a year ago Kristien and I got our chowda on and OD’d on soupy goodness. Yup, the Third Annual Chowdafest was awesome with tons of restaurants competing for the Classic New England Chowder, Creative Chowder, and Soup titles. Last year Mansion Clam House won Classic N.E. Clam Chowder, SBC won Creative Chowder with Corn & Poblano Chowder, and Nicholas Roberts won with their Lobster Bisque. So, who’s winning this year on 2/4/12 from 11-4 at Bedford Middle School in Westport? You get a spoon, then you om nom nom, vote, and help decide the winners. Yeah, you can even pretend you’re one of those judges from Chopped or Iron Chef. We won’t tell. Read More
Norwalk's Valencia Luncheria is Moving! Restaurant Delicious Dives Norwalk Venezuelan Lunch Kid Friendly Stephanie Webster January 24, 2012 “Valencia Luncheria customers will never have to wait in line again” says Michael Young, owner of the Norwalk eatery that has achieved cult-like status in the minds and stomachs of Fairfield County diners. After 6 years of arepa driven success, Valencia is growing up and getting bigger...much bigger in fact. Michael Young tells CTbites that Norwalk's Valencia Luncheria will be moving to a new location, possibly as soon on April 1st (no joke) just 600 feet down the street. While the menu and look and feel will not change, the address will. Put it in your nav systems; 164 Main Street will be the new home to Chef Young’s authentic Venezuelan beach food. Read More
Cactus Rose Cantina -- Santa Fe Meets Wilton Restaurant Wilton Mexican Lunch Kid Friendly Lou Gorfain January 22, 2012 “What’s a nice Greek girl like you doing running a place like this?” I ask Maria Pertesis, who with her mother Katrina, has just opened Cactus Rose, a vibrant new Southwestern themed cantina in Wilton. “My family has owned a Greek diner in Fairfield for almost 40 years,” she offers. “So my mother and I wanted to try something new and exciting.” And that’s exactly what these amazing women have wrought. Under their husbandry, the former Mediterranean Grill in the Wilton Center has blossomed into a fun-filled, warm, and welcoming hacienda. Indeed, the restaurant came up almost overnight, as if itself a desert flower. Read More
Bobby Q's BBQ & Craft Beer Dinner Recap Restaurant BBQ CTbites Invites Westport James Gribbon January 21, 2012 BBQ has achieved cult status in America. Like any fervent belief, splinter factions have arisen. Most people think of the tomato-based variety found in Kansas City and the deep south as "BBQ sauce," but adherents to the Memphis dry-rub sect or acolytes of the vinegar or mustard based churches of North and South Carolina will defend their take on slow smoked spirituality with manic passion. These churches and their branch faiths march under myriad banners, but they can all sit together at the same table and play nice under any tent serving beer. "Harmonious variety" would be an apt descriptor for the latest CTBites Invites event on Jan 12 at Bobby Q's in Westport. Bobby Q's Barbeque & Grill is the creation of owner Bob LeRose, who partnered with Greg Zanella of Northeast Beverage Corp., one of the area's largest microbrew distributors to enhance four courses of beautifully prepared BBQ dishes and a final chocolate course with expertly paired craft brews. Read More
Luxe Modern Wine & Cocktails Opens via WestportNow Restaurant Cocktails Westport Wine Tasting CTbites Team January 21, 2012 Looking for a place to grab a drink and a nosh in Westport? Luxe Modern may be what you're craving. WestportNow.com reports on this weekend's opening: "A wine bar, Luxe Modern Wine & Cocktails, opens at 190 Main St., across from TD BankNorth, on Saturday, according to owner Robert Reilly of Redding. He said that the café will carry 40 wines that can be purchased by the glass, seven or eight seasonal cocktails, and a selection of 15 cheeses and cured meats. In addition to a bar, tended by the owner’s nephew Will Secchi (photo) of Fairfield, there are indoor tables with plans for outdoor tables next spring, he said. Reilly, a former IT director at Fresh Direct in New York, said the hours this opening weekend are Saturday 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Sunday 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Read More
The Whelk in Westport: A First Look & Taste Restaurant Cocktails Seafood Westport Lunch Amy Kundrat and Stephanie Webster January 19, 2012 Friends and family were treated to a sneak preview of The Whelk, Bill Taibe's latest venture in Westport on Wednesday evening. Steeped in the sea with unmistakable flashes of leFarm's seasonal luxury, The Whelk is poised to establish Saugatuck as the culinary center of Westport, and perhaps Fairfield County. Read More
Treasures of the Sierra Nevada Beer Dinner @ Little Pub Restaurant Beer Dinner Beer Stephanie Webster January 18, 2012 If you like rare beers from sierra nevada, Little Pub in Ridgefield has an evening for you: “Treasures of the Sierra Nevada” beer dinner will be held on january 31st, 7pm at Little Pub. Marty from sierra coming in to take you through ovila dubbel, ovila quad, 30th anniversary grand cru, estate homegrown ale, the brand new ruthless rye ipa, and life and limb 2 (the sierra-dogfish collaboration). Details: Six draught beers paired with a six course tasting menu Cost: $65 per person Check out the Menu Read More
MESA- Modern Mexican on Fairfield's Black Rock Tpke Restaurant Mexican Kid Friendly Sarah Green January 15, 2012 There's a new muchacha in town, and her name is MESA! Bold as brass and situated in what has been, at least during my 10 years in Fairfield County, a most unlikely zone, this modern Mexican is worth its weight in oro. It is fair to say that my last choice when picking an ethnic food destination has always been Mexican. (Having been to Mexico many times, and having eaten the absolute freshest delicious food there, I have always found American-Mexican to be heavy, loaded with too much cheese and way too saucy.) But the times they are a'changin and Mesa is making its way to the top of my destination list. Why you may ask? I'll tell you. Read More
Bernard's & Sarah's Wine Bar Present: Sarah & Monica's EXCELLENT Birthday Wine Tasting Dinner Restaurant Cheese Events Ridgefield Wine Dinners CTbites Team January 13, 2012 Sarah & Monica's EXCELLENT Birthday Wine Tasting Dinner will be held on Sunday, January 27 @ 7 PM [UPDATED]. This party is a true celebration of great food and great wine, with musical stylings courtesy of the Kelly Mittleman Trio! The event features Ridgefield's finest with Bernard's Restaurant, Sarah's Wine Bar and Monica from 109 Cheese & Wine. Check out the menu below: Read More
Carpe Diem Opens w/ Northern Italian in New Canaan Restaurant Italian New Canaan Lunch Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger January 08, 2012 Food lovers of New Canaan rejoice! Carpe Diem, a Northern Italian inspired restaurant by Alan Basaran, has opened and the housemade pastas are delicious. As CTBites presented earlier, Basaran, a North Stamford resident and owner of Carpe Diem Restaurant in New York City, is excited about creating delicious Northern Italian cuisine in New Canaan, his wife’s hometown. Read More
Bill Taibe's "The Whelk" Opens in Westport in 2 Weeks Restaurant Seafood Westport Lunch Stephanie Webster January 06, 2012 Up until yesterday, if you had asked Bill Taibe for the name of his new Westport based seafood restaurant, he'd tell you what he told the town when they needed a name for the phone directory, "The oyster place in Saugatuck." But as of this morning, this seafood haven has been given a brand befitting its waterfront surroundings in Westport's burgeoning restaurant scene. "The Whelk" will be opening in roughly two weeks, and the restaurant is poised for its first round of guests. The interior reflects the clean lines of a beautiful ship with beadboard paneling, industrial metals, and warm woods, but despite the seafaring undertones "there is a sense of responsible kitchiness here. We didn't want to go obvious nautical," says Taibe. He describes The Whelk's clean architectural interior as "The South of France meets Maine." Green park bench inspired seating runs the full length of the sunlit dining space and 2 high communal tables stand proudly behind the white marble bar. In keeping with Taibe's passion for local sourcing, everything in the restaurant was made in the USA. Read More
Gelatissimo in New Canaan is Very Gelato Restaurant ice cream New Canaan Dessert Marina Giannangeli January 05, 2012 The first thing I thought of when I heard “Gelatissimo” was that with a name like this, the place must be authentic. I was not disappointed in learning more about this delightful spot in downtown New Canaan when I met with its owners Andrea and Nuccia. In Italian, Gelatissimo means very gelato; the supprelative “issimo” is used to exalt a description from standard to the very most, this is something I love about the Italian language, that things can be highlighted, made bigger, tastier or more beautiful - or just the opposite- by adding this sort of supprelative. “Issimo” is reserved for the very most and who doesn’t want more gelato!? Here, Nuccia and Andrea have done the very best in gelato; their cheery interior is consistently buzzing with happy customers-several appear to be regulars while others are venturing in for the first, but not last time. Read More
Rizzuto’s Italian Kitchen in Stamford Restaurant Pizza Stamford Lunch Kid Friendly Amy Kundrat December 25, 2011 Rizzuto’s Italian Kitchen opened in Stamford this past November as the fourth location in Bill Rizzuto's casual Italian dining concept. With restaurants already in Bethel, Westport and West Hartford, tireless and engaging owner Bill Rizzuto chose the Stamford spot (near the Greenwich border) embracing the open space with tri-level dining, a formidable bar and a central beamy oven. Interested to see how they adapted to their Stamford address and eager to try our hand at making our own pizza, we dropped by for a behind-the-scenes look at their kitchen, the new gas-powered pizza oven and what objects of our affection that oven could create for us hungry souls. Read More
Carpe Diem Opens in New Canaan CT w/ Upscale Italian Restaurant Italian New Canaan Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger December 22, 2011
